The Cornish Coast

Our trip

I've been wanting to visit Cornwall all year, so with only a month left in the UK, Grant and I decided to take a weekend trip down to the southern peninsula of the country. Penzance is a port city right near the bottom of Cornwall. It was about 5 1/2 hours from Slough, but I think it was worth the journey. Unfortunately, we only had the opportunity to visit for a couple days on the weekend. I absolutely loved it and would have enjoyed staying for a whole week, but I am happy we had the chance to go at all. :)

In Cornish, which is the traditional Celtic language in Cornwall, Penn Sans means "holy headland." It was named holy headland due to the location of a chapel that supposedly stood on the headland near Penzance over a thousand years ago. A headland, in case you don't know (I didn't), is a high point of land on a coast, usually with a sheer drop toward the water. The chapel is known traditionally as Saint Anthony's, though there isn't really any proof that the chapel was dedicated to Saint Anthony. The chapel is no longer there, only an eroded stone figure survives. The figure is now in the churchyard of St. Mary's church.

We were very lucky that our first full day in Penzance was a beautiful, sunny day. We took a long walk out to see the remains of an ancient village. When we got back, we left our cameras and phones behind and went off to the beach. Unfortunately, this means we don't have any sunny pictures of the coast near Penzance, but it was beautiful with plenty of people splashing around in the waves. It rained the next day, so we just walked a bit around the historic part of town and down the beach to take a few photos.

Penzance Harbour

Penzance sights

Chysauster Ancient Village

The mysterious fogou

Chysauster Ancient Village: This is an iron age village near Penzance called Chysauster Ancient Village. There you can find the remains of about 10 houses and a fogou - which is Cornish for cave. A fogou is basically an underground room, though it is not certain what this fogou was used for. As far as I could tell, there were many other historic sites around Penzance as well, but we really only had time to visit the one. It was about a 2 hour walk from Penzance so luckily it was a nice day. However, if you have a car, it isn't too far away.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/chysauster-ancient-village/ 

The view on our walk

St. Michael's Mount: There is a similar sight to see in Normandy, France, which you might recognise, called Mont Saint Michel. They are both tidal islands, meaning that when the tide is out, you can just walk straight up to the mount and it isn't an island at all. However, when the tide comes in, the mount is surrounded by water and becomes an island. It seems the reason for both mounts having the same name is that the priory on Saint Michael's Mount was founded by the same religious order (the Benedictines) from Mont Saint Michel in the 12th century.

The Cornish name for St. Michael's Mount is Karrek Loos y Koos, which apparently means grey rock in a wood. This is probably because the mount used to be surrounded by forest rather than water. It's really quite amazing that this is the Cornish name, since the forest was submerged probably around 1700 B.C. The naming of this mount in Cornish combined with the evidence of an ancient forest being submerged just goes to show how amazingly long-term and accurate folk memory can be.

I didn't have a chance to visit the mount due to the limited time I had in Penzance but if you do visit, there is a 15th century chapel and a 12th century castle on the mount.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/st-michaels-mount/visitor-information/

Saint Michael's Mount in the distance

Minack Theatre: Well, I didn't actually go here either, but I really regret not having been able to. It is an open air theatre facing the ocean. It looks absolutely stunning. Take a look at some pictures and shows on their website and if you have a chance, go see a show for me: http://www.minack.com/

And of course, if you are in Penzance, you must visit one of the beaches along the coast. The one we went to, which leads around the bay toward where Saint Michael's Mount is, was quite nice in some areas, but very rocky in others. I really liked the area closer to Saint Michael's Mount.

The beach on a cloudy day

Food

Warrens Bakery: This is a chain of bakeries around Cornwall selling traditional Cornish baked goods. They are apparently the oldest bakery in Cornwall, having been established in 1860. I had a traditional Cornish Pasty as well as a Cornish Saffron Cake for breakfast on the Sunday morning. Both were delicious and I definitely recommend giving a Warrens Bakery a try if you are in Cornwall. (http://warrensbakery.co.uk/)

Blacks Dining Room and Bar: We went here on our first night in Penzance, quite late at night. In addition to the regular menu, they had a list of fresh seafood dishes. Of course, we both chose a seafood dish. The mussels for me and a monkfish dish for Grant. We also had some Cornish cider and beer - all of which was quite good. This restaurant was definitely on the pricey side, but it was delicious. I would recommend it as a place to indulge. There were a lot of other restaurants selling seafood, of course, so take a walk around Penzance and check them out as well. (http://blacksofchapelstreet.com/)

Little India: This Indian restaurant is highly rated and always busy at dinner. If you do decide to eat here, either go a little early, reserve a table or order take-out. The dishes we ate were very good, but I have to say, I was a little disappointed by the service. The staff seemed a little distant and annoyed, as if by ordering food from them, we were putting them out. However, the service was at least quick and reliable, plus the delicious food made up for it. (http://www.purelypenzance.co.uk/winedine/takeaway_menu/chinese_indian/indian_little_india_takeaway_menu.html)

Cream tea at Francine's

Francine's of Penzance: We were searching for somewhere to get a good, homemade cream tea a couple hours before we had to board the train. For some reason, it was proving difficult to find somewhere with an appealing atmosphere or that was open (I guess because it was Sunday). Just when we were about to give up, we came across Francine's. We ordered two cream teas, though we could definitely have probably done with sharing one. We were not disappointed with the homemade scones, locally-made strawberry jam and the essential Cornish clotted cream. Francine's doesn't seem to have a huge online presence, but if you are in Penzance, take a walk along Market Jew Street and keep an eye out. This link at least gives you a little picture and the street address.

Willy Waller's Ice Cream Factory: This ice cream place was by the port. I ordered a plain Cornish clotted cream ice cream in a cone. Generally, Cornish cream can stand on its own, but I actually found this ice cream lacking. It didn't have that full-flavoured, creamy sweetness that I usually expect from Cornish cream. It barely had a flavour at all. I was pretty disappointed, especially since the ice cream is meant to be homemade with Cornish cream. However, Grant got a chocolate nut sundae, which he rated as slightly above average, thanks to the addition of clotted cream on top (replacing the whipped cream you might get in North America). I had had Cornish clotted cream ice cream when I was living in Slough by Kelly's of Cornwall and it was amazing. If you are in Cornwall, you could look out for any kind of takeaway place selling Kelly's - or grab a tub from a local Tesco. Honestly, Kelly's is delicious. Anyway, I'll give you links to both Willy Waller's and Kelly's, in case you want to taste for yourself:

Willy Waller's - http://www.willywallers.co.uk/
Kelly's - http://www.kellysofcornwall.co.uk/

Where to stay

Easy PZ Backpackers: This was definitely one of the best hostels I've been to. It was inside a house and the bedrooms were cosy with lockers for each bed. I enjoyed it there mainly due the homey atmosphere permeating the hostel. This is thanks to the lovely interior decorating as well as the friendliness of the staff. There is also a well-organised kitchen with breakfast foods free for eating in the morning. And finally, the location and the price are both great. A very short walk from the train station and centre of town and not too far from the beach and Saint Michael's Mount. The price was £20 per person per night. (http://www.easypz.info/)





That's all for now...It seems like this post is almost as much about the things I didn't get a chance to do as it is about the things I did. As I said at the beginning, I would have loved to stay at least for a week, but it is what it is.
Anyway, next time - Wales! xox

Oxford

I was living pretty close to Oxford and visited twice over the past year. It's a really beautiful town, definitely worth the visit.

University of Oxford building

Of course, it is known worldwide because of the University of Oxford which is the oldest English university. Actually, the city began life in 900 AD as a place to cross the river with oxen, which is where the name comes from (Ford of the oxen - a ford being a shallow part of the river that can be crossed by foot).

The Oxford Castle was built in 1066 by William the Conqueror. It was another motte and bailey castle (basically a fortification on a bit of raised earth called a motte surrounded by an enclosed courtyard called a bailey). He seems to have built a lot of this type of castle. In fact, a quick google search of motte and bailey castles informs me that the Normans actually introduced this kind of castle to England and built about 1000 of them. Before I accidentally stumbled upon this castle after a walk along the river, I didn't really even know there was a castle in Oxford city - I think the University is more well-known. To be honest, I didn't find the castle that impressive and it didn't draw me inside. I would say that if you only have one day to spend in Oxford, stick around the university - in my opinion the castle may not be worth a visit, especially if you are going to see or have seen other castles around England. I didn't go inside, so I don't really have anything to tell you about that.

The University of Oxford first began shaping up in the 12th century, though there was already a history of formal education from around the time that the castle was built. There doesn't seem to be a formal date of foundation. In 1209, there were disputes between the townsfolk and the students and some of the academics at Oxford left. They ended up founding the University of Cambridge, England's other old, world-renowned University. These two universities petitioned the King in 1333 and no new universities were allowed to be built anywhere in England from this time until 1820, thus these two universities remained the only two in England until this time.

The Radcliffe Camera

One of the most well-recognised buildings often photographed in Oxford is the Radcliffe Camera. It was originally the Radcliffe Library and housed books, but the books were moved in 1861. It became a reading room rather than a library and this is when it became known as the Radcliffe Camera.

View of university buildings from Saint Mary's, courtesy of Cindy Song

Quick tip: for the best view of the Radcliffe Camera, and indeed the whole city of Oxford, climb up the tower in Saint Mary's Church. The church is located directly opposite the Radcliffe Camera.

There are also many museums and galleries operated by the university, open to the public. I didn't get a chance to visit them, but apparently the world's oldest museum is located in Oxford and is called the Ashmolean Museum (http://www.ashmolean.org/).

If you have a bit of time, I would recommend just taking a walk around. Oxford is a very picturesque city and you can find some nice walking routes with pretty views. Take a look here for some suggestions of walking routes through Oxford.

Good food in Oxford:

Yeti Nepalese: A small Nepalese restaurant, but definitely one of my favourites. It is a little outside the centre of town, but I made the trek out there both times I visited - it is that good! You could take a bus or go for a little walk out there. I recommend the Poleko Paneer Mix. The fried paneer cheese is perfect. The restaurant is only open 5:30-11. Visit the website for more info: http://www.yetinepalese.co.uk/

The Head of the River: This is a pub right on the river. It is definitely a beautiful spot to sit and have a drink, but it is on the expensive side. At the time we were there, the service was extremely slow and there was constantly a long line for drinks. We ordered some fries and had to go back twice to ask if it was coming. Despite that, if you can find a spot to sit out on the patio, it is a very nice view. (http://www.headoftheriveroxford.co.uk/)

That's all for now! xox

P.S. Unfortunately I seem to have deleted the photos from my first trip to Oxford. I had taken a lot more photos the first time around, especially from Saint Mary's Church. Thanks to Cindy Song for the contribution of the last photo!

When the world is free

There'll be bluebirds over

The white cliffs of Dover

Tomorrow

Just you wait and see.

There'll be lover and laughter

And peace ever after

Tomorrow

When the world is free.

The White Cliffs of Dover seem to be inextricably linked to Britain's identity - especially with regards to the Second World War. The white cliffs represent freedom, as this was the first sight for many soldiers returning from the war. They also represent fortitude and seem to stand guard, watching out across the Dover Strait. If you have ever heard the song by Vera Lynn, you know the lyrics, talking about peace and freedom. If you haven't heard the song, check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqtaoz4QFX8

This great symbol of Britain is where we chose to spend the last day of my parents' holiday in the UK. Between the cliffs and the castle, it is now one of my favourite places in England - definitely my favourite castle.

White Cliffs of Dover in the fog

The day started off somewhat rainy again, and our first view of the cliffs was through a grey fog. I have to say, even with the fog, the cliffs were pretty impressive. What might not impress you is the town of Dover. Somewhat industrial and run down, don't let the town fool you - just stop by for a map and to talk to someone at the information office about how to get up to the castle and then get on your way. The Strait of Dover is the narrowest part of the channel between England and France, and is therefore where the Channel Tunnel, otherwise known as the Chunnel, runs. The town of Dover is full of trucks entering and leaving from all parts of Europe and the waterfront area looks pretty industrial. If you take the train from London to Paris, the train runs above ground until Dover and then goes under the channel from Dover. There are also ferries leaving constantly from the port. You may want to stop quickly at the beach to get a faraway view of the cliffs. I would recommend not staying in this area too long, however, as there is so much to explore past the town. We definitely spent too long there, because we didn't know what was waiting for us.

After getting directions from the information office, we drove up the hill toward Dover Castle. What a fantastic castle. We arrived about 3 hours before closing, which still wasn't quite long enough in my opinion. The castle is huge, in fact I just read that the castle is actually the largest in England, and it seems as if you can explore almost every nook and cranny. When we arrived, the car park/ parking lot was full - yet, as we walked around, it seemed as if we were the only people there. Not sure what it's like in the summer or if there's any additional parking somewhere else, because it seemed as if you could fit a whole lot more people within the walls of the castle.

Dover Castle - a castle of layers

Dover Castle has so many layers of history, it's absolutely fascinating. The castle was used as fortification right up through the Second World War. It has been so important in the defense of England that it is sometimes referred to as the Key to England. It was originally built in the 12th century, though there is evidence that there was a fortification in this location prior to the building of the castle. Since the castle is so layered, here is a quick breakdown of Dover Castle and cliffs throughout the years...

Roman occupation: In about 55 BC Caesar and his army were searching for the ideal coastal area from which to invade England. He bypassed Dover as he saw his enemies waiting for him along the cliffs. He wrote down his impression of Dover's cliffs which became the first record of the importance of the White Cliffs. He instead landed around the Deal area (about a 20 minutes drive from Dover) and invaded from there. The Romans had to leave Britain soon after to defend their claim on Gaul (France), but when returned in 43 AD, they had a large army so the Britons surrendered and the Romans stayed for 400 years. The Romans built two lighthouses or Pharos on the coast, one of which is located within the castle grounds, and is the oldest building you can see at the castle. It is apparently one of best-preserved lighthouses of its kind in Europe. During the 5th century, the Romans needed to return to defend their home and Dover was taken over by the Anglo-Saxons. Beside the Roman lighthouse, the Saxons built a church, St. Mary in Castro, which you can actually go inside. It was majorly renovated and restored throughout the years after being built however.

Saxon church and Roman lighthouse

Norman invasion: After the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror - a Norman King intent on ruling England - marched through Dover which he had heard was 'impregnable.' The English who held the fortifications, however, surrendered and William the Conqueror built a new castle at this location. Because of William's hold on Normandy and England, Dover became an important point as the location to cross between England and France.

Medieval Dover: During the 12th century, Henry II, ruler of England, rebuilt the castle. He added a great tower where he could receive important guests. Later, Dover, once again, became an important point of fortification - this time against the French. Prince Louis sieged against King John in Dover between 1216-1217, but was not successful. During the siege, the English tunneled down below the castle and out, in order to attack the French. You can explore these medieval tunnels as far as they still go. John's son, Henry III, added three gatehouses and extra fortifications after the siege.

View from the roof of the tower

Napoleonic Wars: During the Napoleonic Wars, at the end of the 18th century, the castle's fortifications were again strengthened. More tunnels were built under the cliff top, but were mostly abandoned after the wars. There are 5 levels of tunnels, though you can only visit 2 of the levels. The town was also linked and fortified with the castle, becoming a garrison town.

The World Wars: Dover was an important location during the wars as ships were able to cross here from England to Northern France. It was repeatedly bombed by airplanes and attacked by ships; the first bomb dropped on England fell near Dover Castle. The tunnels created during the Napoleonic Wars, as well as newly excavated tunnels, were used as secret wartime tunnels during the Second World War. These tunnels were used as shelter and a hospital for wounded men. The tunnels remained in use until the end of the cold war. The town suffered much damage from the constant bombings of both World Wars, and this is one reason Dover is a symbol of bravery for Britain. During the tour of the secret wartime tunnels, it was mentioned that bombs weren't particularly aimed at the castle - if I remember correctly, this was because Hitler imagined he would use Dover Castle as his headquarters if victorious. You can visit the secret wartime tunnels on a tour during which you will hear imagined conversations between people in the tunnels and see what it might have looked like during the wars. 

View of the castle from the cliffs

Whew, that was a long one. Dover has had an amazingly complicated past and been so important in many pivotal moments in England's history. I didn't realise how many layers there would be to explore when we decided to go to Dover. It's clear when you go to the castle and each part of the castle is labeled with the era it was built during.

We were there for 3 hours, but we only toured one wartime tunnel (there's two tours), the tower and the medieval tunnels. We barely had a glance at the Saxon church and Roman lighthouse, and didn't have time to explore the walls of the castle! We did stop in the gift shop for a few minutes when it started to rain again. This gift shop was worth the visit I think. There was a station for tasting various types of mead and wine as well as chutneys and jams set up at the back of the shop. The traditional mead was delicious and we bought some. In fact, everyone I saw visit that tasting station bought a bottle of mead! Try it if you dare ;)

View from the top

Finally, after our visit to the castle, we decided to explore the cliffs a bit more. We took a walk along the clifftops, until the parking lot was meant to be closing. Since we didn't yet feel satisfied, we decided to go for a drive along the cliff top. We ended up at a little town called Saint-Margaret's-at-Cliffe. From there you can drive down a winding road to a beach at the bottom of the white cliffs. It was beautiful and, of course, the sun was starting to shine - just in time to set.

Where to eat: 
Well, we packed a picnic lunch and we weren't planning on staying for dinner. However, when we were down on the beach below Saint-Margaret's-on-Cliffe, we found a pub by the name of The Coastguard serving some local beers, ciders and fish. It was delicious with a beautiful view of the ocean...the only thing that would have made it better is enough warmth to have been able to sit outside. As it was, we had a great view out the window. We even ordered a cheese plate for after dinner with some English cheeses to taste. Yum. http://www.thecoastguard.co.uk/

View from the bottom

And that was the end to my wonderful week exploring in and around London with my parents! The next day we said goodbye until I go home, which will probably be in about 5-6 months :(

Now that I've finished up the blog posts about that week, I hope to begin posting once a week, rather than every - or every other - day. I have so many things I have done this year and I have been a bit lax with the blog, so I have LOTS to write about. So....
Until next time!

xox

Bath

Last Saturday, we headed to Bath. It was finally a nice, sunny day, and the downtown core was bustling with people wandering the pedestrian area full of shops and sights.

Like Stratford, Bath sits on the River Avon. It is mostly situated in a valley, but climbs up the side of a hill. When we first arrived, we drove up the hill and got a good view of the rest of the city. The area up the hill seemed to be mostly residential, with steep, very narrow streets, but with a fantastic view. After a good look, we headed down to the city centre.

View of Bath from up the hill

Bath is another city that started out as an ancient settlement. During the period between 800 B.C. and 50 A.D. the hot springs found in the Bath area were probably treated as a shrine to the goddess Sulis, a goddess representing motherhood, nourishment and life. When the Romans took over in around 50 A.D., they called the area Aquae Sulis - the waters of Sulis. Over the next 300 years, the Romans constructed a temple and bathing area around the hot springs. However, these original baths were abandoned and ruined in a flood during the 5th century. Legend has it that the Battle of Badon was fought by King Arthur at Bath during the 6th century. The 7th century saw the founding of the Bath Abbey as a monastery. This abbey was rebuilt during the 12th century and the 16th century, then restored and renovated in the 19th century.

John de Villula, a Norman doctor and churchman, bought the city for 500 pounds of silver during the 11th century, becoming the Bishop of Bath. He was interested in the curative power of the hot springs and so new baths were built. During this time, the wool and cloth trade contributed enormously to the wealth of Bath. However, the next 5 centuries marked a decline in the city's prosperity and by the 16th century, the city was dilapidated and the abbey in ruins.

The buildings of Bath, made from iconic Bath Stone

In 1676, a book published by a doctor about the restorative powers of Bath's hot springs began to draw the attention of England's aristocracy. Beau Nash, a gambler and socialite, saw his opportunity in the early 1700s to turn Bath into a fashionable resort - and he did just that, raising money to repair and restore the city. During this time, as well, Ralph Allen owned the stone quarries near Bath. The stone mined at these quarries is called Bath Stone - the distinctive honey-coloured limestone from which most buildings in Bath are constructed. John Wood, both the Elder and the Younger, a father-son architectural duo, were the masterminds behind rebuilding the city, funded by Ralph Allen. Their idea was to recreate the feeling of a Roman city, which they definitely accomplished. Remains of the ancient Roman temple the goddess were also found during this time. With all these people and discoveries coming together, it's no wonder the city grew to be a popular spa destination and Bath's population increased 10-fold. Jane Austen lived in Bath between 1800-1805. There is a Jane Austen centre you can visit in Bath, which I wasn't able to visit, but if you are interested, here is the website for you: http://www.janeausten.co.uk/. In the late 19th century, the Roman Great Bath was found. The actual Roman Baths are below street level, but the upper portions were designed in the Roman tradition, though they are only a couple hundred years old.

Bath Abbey and the Pumps to the right

During the Second World War, buildings in the city were damaged, but mostly restored after the war. The city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and it is a popular tourist destination these days.

The Royal Crescent

We really enjoyed walking around the city, taking in the Roman-style Georgian architecture and the sun! Unfortunately, after we stopped for lunch, it was mid afternoon and we didn't actually go inside to see the baths; there was quite a line up to get inside, and they were closing soon. We went to see the Circus and Royal Crescent. The Circus is an area of home built in a circular fashion. If you stand in the centre, the circular nature of the buildings amplifies your voice. We could hear tour guides telling their groups about the area, and clapping their hands to demonstrate the amplification. We also just barely had time to go in to see Bath Abbey.

Good food in Bath:

Inside the Bath Abbey

The Eastern Eye: This is a fantastic Indian restaurant close to the downtown area. This was our first stop as we were hungry when we arrived. It has won various well-deserved awards and yet the pricing was fairly reasonable. After a delicious lunch, we had a coffee (included with the lunch special) which was actually amazing! It seems like a strange thing to be praising an Indian restaurant for, but it was definitely a fantastic way to end the meal. http://www.easterneye.com/

Jacob's Coffee House: Right near Bath Abbey, this coffee house drew my attention with the vintage style turquoise sign out front and the wooden interiors. I wouldn't necessarily go back for the coffee - it wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best, - I would certainly return for the cakes. We had the apple cider cake, which had a full, rounded apple flavour and wasn't too sweet. I would definitely love to try some of the other cakes. http://jacobscoffeehouse.com/

That's all for now! Thanks for reading :) Next time, I will tell you all about our trip to Dover and the discovery of my new favourite castle...

xox

All the world's a stage...

So, Friday, we ended up going to three different locations, clustered close together - Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick Castle and Coventry. Hopefully I'll be able to fit a brief description of all three places in one post... But we'll just have to see how it goes.

King Edward VI School

Stratford-upon-Avon: In case you don't know, this is where Shakespeare grew up (hence the name of the post). Many interesting buildings date back to the medieval period, as this is when Stratford was developed as a town. In fact, 1196 is when Stratford became an official town. Shakespeare was baptised at the Holy Trinity Church in 1564. In his 20s, he moved to London to act and write plays. He moved back to Stratford in 1613 and died a few years later. He is now buried in the Holy Trinity Church as well (you can visit his burial place for £2, which we didn't do). It's a nice little church, which Shakespeare would have visited while growing up in Stratford. Aside from the church, you can visit many places that Shakespeare would have lived or visited such as his birthplace, the house where his wife's family lived (Anne Hathaway's Cottage), his daughter's house (Hall's Croft) and various buildings that belonged to his mom and dad's families. You can also see King Edward VI School, which is most likely where he would have gone to school. Stratford is another town with many festivals, so keep an eye out if you are planning a visit.

Shakespeare's birthplace

It was very  exciting, as an English major especially, to visit the bard's hometown, even though it was another rainy day. However, we opted out of buying tickets to go inside the buildings. I'm sure it's all very interesting, but the tickets are on the pricey side - around £23 for access to five buildings (Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Hall's Croft, Harvard House, Mary Arden's Farm, Shakespeare's Birthplace and Shakespeare's Grave) and prices vary for visits to individual buildings. Personally, I think it would probably be worth it on a warm, sunny day - a day when you are willing to walk from place to place as there can be about 15-20 minute walk between different places; it wasn't very enticing on a cold, rainy day with a limited time. As we were getting ready to leave, the sun came out. Though it didn't get any warmer, my dad insisted on getting the quintessential vanilla ice cream with a flake in it :) To be fair, they were being sold from boats on the River Avon, which was kind of cool. Then we headed off.

Sunny late afternoon at Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle: Warwick (pronounced worr-ik) Castle is only about a 20 minute drive from Stratford. The castle is currently owned by the Tussauds Group, a group who owns tourist attractions and amusement parks around England and one or two in Europe (think Alton Towers, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Legoland etc). Prior to being turned into a tourist attraction by the Tussauds Group, the castle was actually a country home to the Greville Family, Earls of Warwick, from about 1604 until 1978. However, as a country home, the castle was already open to the public on and off, bringing in tourists to support the local economy. If we go back even further, the castle started out as a fortified settlement in 914 but, in 1068, William the Conqueror had conquered the Midlands. In order to hold the Midlands while he moved north, he built a castle at this spot. The style of castle he built required an additional mound to be constructed and the castle to be situated on top of the mound. The mound is called Ethelfleda's Mound. When the castle was taken over by King Henry II in 1153, he replaced William the Conqueror's castle with a larger stone castle. Throughout the centuries, the castle grew larger and the fortifications stronger.

View from a tower (Caesar Tower I think)

These days, the castle is uniquely a tourist attraction and it shows: colourful signs, games for which they shamelessly demand you pay extra and flashy shows. However, if you turn a blind eye to the touristiness, the castle is very beautiful and it is huge. We walked around the towers and ramparts, up Ethelfleda's Mound, around the gaol and into the wax museum area. The wax museum is set up as a Victorian party, decorated with furniture and wax people. There are recordings playing, as if the people are talking about a party that is going to be happening in the evening. The set up of the wax museum was very well done, to the point where I felt uncomfortable at first - as if I actually was crashing a Victorian party and intruding into somebody's home.

Ethelfleda's Mound

Pricing tip: if you are not interested in the shows, arriving about an hour and a half before closing time gets you a half price ticket. I couldn't find online exactly when the half price deal starts, but it's definitely worth the slightly quicker visit for the cheaper price. In my opinion, the entrance fee is overpriced - though the castle is beautiful. It's around £25 for adults and not much less for children and seniors. Many online reviews say the same thing - nice castle, but too expensive. If you are planning to go earlier in the day, try to at least book online as the online prices are cheaper. Click here to get to the pricing page. 

The hollow inside of the old Coventry Cathedral

Coventry Cathedral:  Since Coventry is only 15 minutes from Warwick Castle and the sun was still shining, we decided to pay the cathedral a quick visit - though we were getting tired from all the touring. Actually, Coventry has three Cathedrals, but we went to see the old St. Michael's Cathedral which is commonly referred to as Coventry Cathedral. It is a cathedral that was built in the 14th century, but, during the Second World War, was mostly destroyed in the Coventry Blitz. It is an now an open shell of the cathedral, with the tower and spire the only part of the building still in tact. It is a beautiful building, but a grim reminder of the damage of war. The spire itself is awe-inspiring and is actually the third tallest spire in England. As you drive into Coventry, you will run into mostly newer buildings - probably because all the older buildings were destroyed during the blitz. But as you approach the cathedral, you might start noticing the spire against the sky. Then, all of a sudden, you turn down a street and you are among medieval buildings with an open cathedral in the middle. Unfortunately, we arrived late, so we couldn't go inside the walls of the cathedral, but the entrances are blocked only by gates, meaning you can still have a look inside even if you can't walk inside.

The spire and tower

A few interesting facts about Coventry:

• It was officially the capital of England on and off through the 15th century.
• There may have been a settlement in this area since the Bronze age - a couple thousand years B.C.
• In 1043, Leofric, Earl of Mercia and his famous wife, Lady Godiva, founded a Benedictine nunnery in Coventry. Lady Godiva, legend has it, rode naked on a horse through the streets of Coventry to oppose a taxation law put in place by her husband.

After a quick visit around the cathedral, we grabbed a coffee from Starbucks and headed home for a tired night in.

I did it! I fit all three locations into one post! Though it may be on the long side. Hope you learned something and enjoyed reading about these historic areas in the West Midlands. These areas are definitely worth the visit, despite the heavy tourism. In my opinion, the tourism is mainly due to the fact that these areas ARE worth visiting and that they are within day-trip distance of London. Plus they give you a good feel for medieval architecture and life, especially if you can ignore some of the flashiness (especially at Stratford and Warwick).

Hopefully this weekend I'll finish up my posts following my day trip adventures from last week, but I have another trip planned for tomorrow already, so bear with me!

Until next time...
xox

Rain at the beach

Brighton beach with the amusement park pier in the back

While this week the weather warms up in southern England, we weren't so lucky last week. Most of our days were spent in windy rain, especially on the coast. After picking up a rental car Thursday, we headed south to Brighton. Going south didn't help the weather much and as we arrived at the Brighton beach, a light rain started and a cold wind picked up. The first place we stopped was a coffee shop for a warm drink. It didn't warm up, but we took a walk down to the beach anyway. We ended up eating our picnic lunch huddled behind a boat (on land) to protect us from the wind with our hoods up to protect us from the misty rain. 

The beach could be a nice enough place to visit in the sun, with beach chairs for rent, many sea food shops to choose from and an amusement park on the pier. However, it depends on the vibe you are looking for. It is a nice beach and I can also imagine it being party destination. Scattered among the sea food shops and fishing museums, there are dance clubs and bars. So far, I have only visited Brighton during cool, overcast days and for some reason... (who knows why!) the beach has been fairly empty. I can't really give a fair suggestion of what Brighton would be like on a bright, sunny day, but my impression is that it would be bustling with people and loud with music, especially in the evening. Their website boasts that Brighton "is famed for its nightlife." So I'm not going to recommend going there or not - it just really depends on what you are looking for. I will say that it is not a place to go if you want a QUIET beach getaway.

Wildlife (read seagulls) in Brighton

A good part of our afternoon was spent exploring the narrow 'Lanes' in downtown Brighton. The Lanes are an area of boutiques and unique stores selling clothing, jewelry, home decor and appliances, as well as little tea and cake shops. Since I have not yet experienced Brighton's nightlife, the Lanes are probably my favourite part of Brighton - the narrow cobblestone streets are pretty enchanting. 

The Lanes in Brighton

A little bit about Brighton: There seems to be a large art community in Brighton, though I have not personally experienced it. Brighton hosts a huge arts festival in May, the Brighton Festival, so that might be the time of year to look at Brighton if you are interested in the arts. The Brighton Fringe is the second largest Fringe Festival in the world, after Edinburgh, and also runs in May. In fact, after doing a small amount of research, you will find that there are many, many festivals hosted in Brighton, big and small. 

I have no pictures of festivals in Brighton, so here is a picture of some seagulls having a party ;)

The LGBT community is the most active in the UK and is known as the Gay Capital of the UK. Brighton Pride attracts thousands of visitors every year in early August. Maybe I'll take a trip down and finally experience the proper night life of Brighton. 

The Royal Pavilion

History: there has been a settlement in the Brighton area for over 2000 years. There is evidence of ancient sites near Brighton from thousands of years B.C. as well as a Roman villa from the Roman period (though no evidence left of an actual settlement). In the fifth century, Saxons took over the Brighton area. It was used as a port, but without an actual town until 1086. One important building that I did walk around (though I didn't go inside) is the Royal Pavilion. It was founded by the Prince Regent in 1783 and overhauled in 1815. This palace is beautiful and extravagant, marking an interest in Brighton by the royalty and the beginning of Brighton as a party town. 

Cookies and Cream cupcake at Angel Food Bakery

Good food:

Café Coho: This was the coffee shop we stopped at when we first arrived in Brighton. The coffee was delicious and the food smelled divine. We didn't try the food, as we had brought a picnic lunch with us, but we were definitely tempted. http://www.cafecoho.co.uk/ 

Angel Food Bakery: A cake shop in The Lanes. We each tried a different cupcake and they were all scrumptious. I regret not buying a dozen to take home with me. It's a small cake shop with limited seating but the cakes are worth it. http://www.angelfoodbakery.co.uk/

Angel Food Bakery

Though we were on the coast, weirdly, we didn't try any of the sea food, but theoretically it should be fresh and tasty. 

For more about what to do in Brighton, here is the link to its tourism site:  http://www.visitbrighton.com/ 

Follow me to Stratford, Warwick and Coventry tomorrow!

Hugs & kisses from England.

London Calling (again)

Well, last week was a busy week! My parents came to visit, so, of course, we had to do some exploring.  Anyway, since we were so busy last week, I didn't get a chance to post, so it'll have to be this week instead!

Since London is just a quick train ride from Slough, that is where we started our week. We would have a car the rest of the week, and we definitely did not want to drive in London - there's really no point, the tube goes everywhere... Besides, traffic is crowded and unpredictable, drivers are impatient - not a good environment for a tourist used to driving on the OTHER side of the road!

Quick tip: if you are going to be traveling around London, get a travelcard or an oyster card (the contactless payment card for London transport) onto which you can load a travelcard. You get unlimited travel in London. If you are traveling from outside of London, for instance from Slough, you can get a combined return train ticket and travelcard. It is a great deal and costs only a few pounds more than the return ticket itself. One or two rides on the underground is DEFINITELY worth it, more than that and it's a total bargain. 

Trafalgar Square

Our first priority, thanks to my artist mom, was the National Portrait Gallery, which is behind the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square (http://www.npg.org.uk/). It's a pretty cool place to visit if you are interested in portraiture - there's so many different styles from across the centuries for you to absorb. It's also interesting if you are fascinated by the stories about people. There are a lot of portraits of celebrities, historical as well as contemporary, and each one includes a brief story about the subject of the painting. It's a smallish gallery - compared to the National Gallery - but there's a lot to see and read. We spent a couple hours there. If you're not so interested in portraiture or people, but you do like art, I recommend the National Gallery (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/).

National Gallery - Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the National Portrait Gallery, but it's right behind this one. Take the tube to Charing Cross and you will see this gallery on exiting. Walk down the street to the right of the National Gallery and you will find a door to the NPG.

We had planned on taking a boat to Kew Gardens, but once we had finished at the gallery and eaten, we had missed the last boat. So, instead of going to Kew, we headed on a boat tour down the Thames with a different company. The tour was probably about an hour and a half altogether, which seemed pretty short. However, there is an option to "hop-on, hop-off" which we didn't take, since we had already visited most of the sights on a previous trip to England, but I imagine it's a pretty good option. We did that with one of the City Tour buses last trip and it really is pretty convenient - especially if you don't know London very well. Of course, the advantage of the boat tour is that you don't run into traffic and you get great views! (Link for both the bus and boat tours:  http://www.citycruises.com/sightseeing.aspx)

One of the many wonderful views from the boat

Victoria and Albert Museum

Because we hadn't made it to Kew, we didn't have a plan for after the boat tour, so I suggested the Victoria and Albert Museum (http://www.vam.ac.uk/), which I had loved when I visited a few months ago. It was only open for another hour and a half but we decided to go for a quick visit. The V&A Museum was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It's a design and art based museum, showcasing all different types of design, from ceramics to ironwork, furniture, architecture, fashion and any other design-related subjects you can think of. Since the opening of the museum, it seems as if the collections have just grown like crazy. There are millions of objects and artifacts, spanning continents and millennia, all spread through about 145 different galleries. It is now the world's largest museum of its kind. Though it is huge and impossible to see everything in one full day, never mind a mere hour, it was definitely worth the short visit and my parents enjoyed what little they saw.

Quick tip: the wonderful thing about London is that all the galleries and museums are free. If you're not sure about one or you're running low on time, just pop in and check it out. If you leave after a couple minutes, there's really no loss to you... or you might find a new favourite to return to another day. 

After a pint and pub food, we headed home for the night.

Good food in London:

Waiting in line at Leon

• Poppies Fish and Chips - delicious, though a bit on the greasy side. Portions were huge and we ate two regular size Haddock & Chips between the three of us. We visited the Spitalfields location, but there is another one in Camden. http://poppiesfishandchips.co.uk/
• Leon - Before visiting a Leon restaurant, my mom and I owned 3 of their cookbooks between the two of us. Their cookbooks are sold at Homesense in Canada, but, as far as I know, there aren't any Leon restaurants in Canada. The recipes in their cookbooks always turn out well, so we thought we should probably give the restaurant itself a try. It's a chain of restaurants with the logo "Naturally Fast Food." There are about 20 locations throughout London, so chances are you can find one nearby, especially in Central London. It was excellent and healthy, but some of the recipes I had tried at home tasted very different. Both tasted delicious just... different. It is worth giving Leon a try if you would like a quick, delicious lunch or dinner in London http://leonrestaurants.co.uk/

Until next time,

xx from London

Believe It or Not

Before I move on, I just wanted to do a quick post about the hostels we stayed at in Austria. In Salzburg, it was the Yoho International Youth Hostel (http://www.yoho.at/). It was a nice hostel - clean, friendly, good price and right downtown. They have an in-hostel bar plus they play The Sound of Music every night. It had been awhile since I had seen the movie, so it was a good refresher and I was able to recognise all the standout locations the next day :)

The hostel in Vienna was call Believe It or Not Hostel. It was definitely one of the best hostels I've ever stayed at. It was more like an apartment with two rooms, a living room and a kitchen. With only two rooms, there are limited options - I think it was one room with 8 beds and the other with 12. However, it's set up so it's like you have your own private little alcove with a locker and bar to hang your towel. It was clean and extremely friendly, making it feel very comfy and homey. The owner (I'm so sorry, I don't remember her name) came in every morning and made breakfast while chatting with the visitors. For some reason, the link for the website isn't working, so I hope nothing has happened to the hostel since October, but here is the Trip Adviser link http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g190454-d2477848-Reviews-Believe_It_Or_Not_Hostel-Vienna.html. If you go to Vienna, I recommend taking the time to research this hostel. Quick tip: if you arrive at night, the building seems a bit uninviting. We were quite apprehensive when we arrived, it seemed almost like an abandoned building in the entrance. But, never fear, climb the stairs, find the door that says Believe It or Not, ring the bell - once you're inside, you will not regret it.

Anyway, that's it for Austria for now. There's so much more I could talk about - we had some great adventures on our day trips from Salzburg - but perhaps in the future if there's a lull in my traveling. This week I'm hoping to write about the England day trips I made last week :) Starting with a post later tonight!

Until later...
<3

Wien

I know it's been awhile, but let me continue from where I left off - Austria. Vienna, City of Music.

Vienna is so rich in a history and culture I had never really considered before. I didn't know much about Austria before going there; I hadn't realised that so many types of food, art and music had originated there - food, art and music that I'm actually really familiar with.

Viennese sausage

For instance, while I was in Austria, I learned at some point that Wien is the German name for Vienna (which is pronounce Vi-en). And that the German word for Viennese is Wiener. I had never thought about it before, but back in Canada we called those special rolls of meat reserved for hot dogs wieners. Well actually, it's just a Viennese sausage - found sold by street vendors all over the cities in Austria. 

Sachertorte

Sachertorte is another Viennese specialty. It is a dense, rich chocolate cake created by Franz Sacher in 1832. I had seen this cake in cookbooks and menus before, but didn't realise it originated in Austria. Cindy and I tried the sachertorte from the world famous Sacher Hotel. I had to make a journey specifically for the cake the morning we were leaving. It was about half an hour from our hostel, but it was definitely worth it. If you are in Vienna, don't miss out on it. In fact, the baked goods and pastries all over Austria were to die for. 

Death and Life, Gustav Klimt

Setting Sun, Egon Schiele

Another thing I didn't know about Austria was that one of my favourite artists, Gustav Klimt, was Austrian! I had seen his paintings in an exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and fell in love with them. But I didn't really look into his background much further than admiring his paintings. Much to my delight, there were a few galleries strongly featuring Klimt paintings in Vienna. One is called Leopold Museum. This one features a collection by Rudolf Leopold, who had focused on Egon Schiele, who was heavily influenced by Klimt. When Leopold began collecting Schiele paintings, they were unknown and inexpensive. In fact, I believe Leopold may have had a hand in bringing Schiele to recognition. The museum features the largest collection of Schiele paintings in the world, as well as many Klimt and a few other artists. I absolutely loved it. 

The Leopold Museum is in an area called the MuseumsQuartier. It is full of museums, each showcasing a distinct genre or artist. There were options to buy tickets to visit a single museum, or multiple ones. Unfortunately, we didn't get there until the evening so we only had time to visit one museum. Cindy went off to the MUMOK (Museum of Modern Art) while I was at the Leopold Museum. If you have a full afternoon, definitely invest in the combined ticket and see as much as you can!

If you like Klimt, another must-see is the Oberes Belvedere. This gallery is part of a Baroque palace called Schloss Belvedere and features art from the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries. Klimt's most famous painting, The Kiss, is showcased at this gallery, which was the highlight for me. There's also a garden outside of the palace, which is probably really nice in the summer, but was pretty bare at the end of October. 

Oberes Belvedere

The Kunsthistorisches Museum has a wide range of art from various eras and areas. These art pieces were collected by the Habsburgs (an important royal family that ruled the Holy Roman Empire between 1438 and 1740 - thank you Wikipedia). Some of my favourite artists presented there were Rubens and Caravaggio, but the collection is so large there is definitely something for everyone. Besides which, the architecture, both on the outside and in, was stunning.

Kunsthistorisches Museum

There are SO many museums, galleries, palaces and gardens to choose from in Vienna. It was hard to choose what to prioritise in only 3 days, but I think we did a pretty decent job. Aside from the museums I mentioned above, we also went to the Hofburg (Imperial Palace - home the Habsburgs from 1273-1918) and Stephansdom (a Cathedral).

View from the Stephansdom

I would like to tell you about the hostel I stayed in, because it was fantastic, but I will leave that for my next post. For now, I hope you enjoyed reading a bit about Vienna!